Free Near To You by Asha King Page B

freshly washed hair was mussed up under a baseball cap.
    Shit. It wasn’t like he could show up in a suit, but...
    But get your ass out of the van. Nothing’s changed. Apartment lease is up and you’re leaving town.
    Brady polished off his coffee and returned it to the cup holder. He discarded his hat, tossing it onto the passenger seat, and met his own blue eyes in the rearview mirror. Shit, he hadn’t even shaved. Oh well. He ran his hand back through his dark hair and slowly cracked the door open.
    Here we go .

    ****

    A car door slammed in the distance.
    “That’s probably him.” Niara sat up. “I’ll talk to you in a bit.”
    “Ask him if he can fertilize your garden.”
    Nia sighed. “Bye, Deena.” She hung up, set the phone down, and started to rise as footsteps approached.
    And froze.
    Her heart beat at a hummingbird pace, so high up it felt like it was in her throat. Sunlight glinted off him as he moved, unzipped hoodie revealing a ribbed shirt over a broad chest. Dark hair had the slightest curl, falling over his brow, unkempt. His square jaw was rough and unshaven, and she desperately wanted to taste those lips. Just the sight of this man had her nipples hardening and heat rushing through her body.
    Dear God. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked at anyone like that and her face flushed. Maybe Deena did it. Hired a male stripper to show up instead just to mess with her.
    “Sorry I’m late.” His voice was deep and a little rough, immediately running under her skin and giving her goose bumps. He smiled easily and stopped two feet away.
    She waited a moment. Nope, no sudden music playing and his jeans didn’t look like they’d tear-away.
    Niara picked her jaw off the ground with effort. “It-it’s okay. Um.” Um. Stay classy there, sweetheart . She swallowed the lump in her throat and extended her hand. “I’m Niara.”
    His smile widened, adding dimples to his cheeks as he reached out in greeting. “I remember.” Both his warm, rough hands clasped her one, confining and owning her fingers deliciously, and she couldn’t help but imagine them roaming her body.
    Maybe that was why her brain continued to stutter around what he’d said, and she struggled to focus again. “Do I know you?”
    His face flushed, smile faded, and immediately she felt like shit. He did look familiar but...
    “Not really.” He released her hand, cool air touching her fingers again, and scratched at the back of his neck as his shoulders turned inward. “We went to high school together.”
    That’s right! She ran through her memory. “You played basketball.”
    And that smile returned, warming her through. “Yeah. Brady Trewin.”
    Now she remembered him. Quiet for a jock, he volunteered to run errands for the school paper and helped with a yearbook fundraiser, too. Hovering around after class, always offering help. He’d been tall and wiry back then, and she’d entertained more than a few fantasies when she snapped photos for the yearbook of the team practicing.
    He had...filled out. That was for sure. He stood a head over her and she had the sneaking suspicion she’d fit really nicely in those big arms.
    But she gave herself a mental shake. No, no way. She’d been divorced four months, self-esteem low as all Ron’s infidelities came out and dragged her down. She dropped her gaze from Brady, moved to cross her arms under her breasts.
    “Why don’t you show me what you want me to do?” he offered.
    It was a good thing Deena wasn’t there, as that could be taken any number of ways and her best friend would no doubt have fun naming them all. “It’s pretty much,” Niara gestured to the house, “everything. Weeds have to go from the flower beds. I have to figure out what to plant but I haven’t gotten that far yet. It’s all...”
    “Overwhelming,” he supplied and she nodded.
    “Very much so.”
    “You can sit and relax—I’ll grab some things from the van and get started.” With